Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of American workers at mid-size to large companies could not name their CEO, and about a third (32 percent) couldn’t identify their leader on sight, according to a new report from APPrise Mobile.

That lack of interaction speaks volumes about the massive obstacles internal communicators face.

The study highlights the chasm between leadership and workers, as well as the companywide dissonance that gap creates. With top-level CEOs raking in upward of 335 times the salary of their employees, cultivating common ground and creating camaraderie can be a struggle.

Just two-thirds (66 percent) of respondents ages 18–24 knew the name of their CEO, and only 54 percent were confident they could pick their chief executive out of a lineup.

Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) don’t work in the same location as the head honcho, and fewer than half (46 percent) have met the big boss in person.

Only 16 percent reported receiving weekly communications from their CEO, and another 16 percent said they never hear from him or her at all.

Only 55 percent of survey respondents said they fully understood the company’s mission statement, and nearly a quarter believed they would better understand the company’s objectives if they received more regular and meaningful communications.

Communication equates to dollars

Poor communication is a company killer. Conversely, clear and consistent communication from top brass can enrich corporate culture and produce tangible benefits.

In its report, APPrise asserts that “increased communications (especially from senior leadership) is critical to employee engagement and, if done consistently and effectively, can help to reduce these costs while bringing additional value to businesses.”